The European Union would like to extend a very warm welcome to Cyprus as incoming Chair of the FSC and to Croatia as a new member of the FSC Troika. We, the Member States, express our appreciation for the work done last year under the Chairmanships of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria and in particular Canada that gave effective leadership during the FSC preparations for the Ministerial Council. The joint efforts of the FSC Chairs, Co-ordinators, Chefs de File and individual Delegations during 2006 resulted in a very positive outcome, part of it in the form of important decisions endorsed in Brussels.
The EU looks forward to an effective and successful FSC work programme in 2007 during the Spanish Chairmanship of the OSCE. The EU supports the ambitious goals set by Cyprus for its FSC Chairmanship. The Tentative Work Programme of the three FSC Chairmanships in 2007 provides an excellent framework for the achievement of these goals.
Without commenting in detail on the Opening Statement and the Tentative Work Programme, the EU would like to highlight the following elements:
1. Close co-operation with the Permanent Council and its new Security Committee will strengthen the role of the FSC within the OSCE. The FSC has a wealth of experience that should also be applied to security related issues of a cross-dimensional nature.
2. The Security Dialogue in the FSC provides a unique tool for addressing threats to our security. The EU calls upon Participating States to engage actively and constructively in this dialogue.
3. The implementation of the FSC decisions, as endorsed by the 14th Ministerial Council, will constitute an important part of the work of the FSC in 2007. The EU attaches particular importance to the ongoing work on small arms and light weapons, which also includes the issue of illicit trafficking of SALW by air, and on Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition. Further steps in the development of Best Practice Guides, especially in relation to Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition are a priority. The EU would like to see a continuation of project activities based on existing OSCE documents and focussing in particular on the management and security of stockpiles. Further activities of crucial importance include support for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540.
4. The 17th Annual Implementation Assessment Meeting and the 5th Annual Security Review Conference are events of major importance in 2007 and require special efforts on the part of the FSC.
5. The special FSC meeting on the Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security held on 27 September 2006 resulted in a number of proposals on the improvement of the Code's implementation and is bound to foster further initiatives in this respect. The EU welcomes these initiatives, looks forward to new ones and the discussion on them in the near future. The EU expresses its hope, that work in the FSC would lead to concrete action which enhances the implementation of the Code.
6. The EU hopes for progress in developing and implementing project activities. This includes efforts to reduce the dangers arising from SALW as well as conventional ammunition. It also includes project work with regard to rocket fuel Mélange. In this regard the EU encourages the Conflict Prevention Centre to co-ordinate actively with other donors and international bodies supporting projects in the various fields of OSCE work.
7. The EU welcomes the intention to involve, as appropriate, the Asian and Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation of the OSCE in the work of the FSC.
The EU remains ready to support actively and constructively the work of the FSC in order to strengthen its efficiency as well as its relevance for stability and security in the OSCE area.
The Candidate Countries Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia, EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this declaration.
* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
